Unlikely Friends
by Tarhiliel
Summary: Arwen and Eowyn talk about what they feel.


Main Characters: Arwen, Eowyn   
  
Rating: PG   
  
Pairings: N/A   
  
Genre: Drama   
  
Length: Short story   
  
Summary: Arwen and Eowyn talk about what they feel   
  
It was really cold. Arwen wore a maroon mantle, dark as good old wine, set with black little hearts about the throat. She also wore black long gloves. The Evenstar had lived for many years, but never had witnessed such a cold afternoon. She rode a white horse, one of Aragorn's favorites. It was called Pilininge, which meant "Flight of Arrow" in the tongue of men. And fast as an elvish arrow it was indeed, though gentle and caring when with the Queen of Gondor. She was still learning how to ride properly, and that was the perfect horse to do it.   
  
It still troubled her mind that Éowyn had invited her to an afternoon tea. Longer it had been since she had spoken to her, and she did not hold good memories of their meeting. Not that Éowyn had been rude in any way, but the friction between them was obvious, not for Aragorn, but for another reason: themselves.   
  
They could not really communicate, for their interests were too different. While Éowyn talked about her battles and her beautiful first meeting with Faramir, Arwen talked about misery, the Call of the Sea, and last but not least, how she had abandoned her family. It was sad indeed, but why not laugh with bliss now that she had Aragorn's love and was Queen of Gondor? That was the one thing that battered the Princess of Ithilien so much, Arwen's lack of gratefulness for the life she had ahead.   
  
So troubled she rode, yet hopeful, for she truly wanted this meeting deep inside. She dismounted her horse, and reached a gloved hand for the door knocker, for Éowyn had told her she would leave the door open. Part of her was willing to go through with this, to see what oddities lay behind that door. Her tension reached such a state that when Éowyn finally opened the door, it was like opening a vacuum.   
  
''Welcome,'' Éowyn said, sweetly smiling while making way for Arwen to enter. She wore a beautiful and long white dress, with a golden belt so great that if not for the tension, Arwen would have commented on it.   
  
The Queen smiled back merrily and entered the stunning living room. Stunning and large, very large, and propelled she found herself in it. She was to begin the conversation, but she stopped suddenly aghast. Here she was to talk to Éowyn, that had troubled her mind forever since she married Aragorn. Then she tried to continue, slowly, gathering her thoughts.   
  
''It was very sweet of you...'' She had no more words in her mouth. ''Very sweet of you...''   
  
Éowyn just smiled, then later replied: ''I know. Make yourself confortable, I will be right back with some tea.''   
  
Arwen tried to do as told, and settled down in a chair. A few seconds later Éowyn arrived with a tray. Soon Arwen had her chilled hands around a steaming mug. Éowyn sat too, facing her.   
  
Éowyn felt how uncomfortable she was. Arwen was intimidated, it was obvious, but why? In Éowyn's eyes Arwen was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, and carried herself with such grace. Her eyes were very sad, but her elvish voice was so sweet that Éowyn felt soothed by it. Then why? Aragorn was hers. And she loved Faramir now. There was no reason to feel so bad.   
  
''Where is Lord Faramir?'' Arwen risked, for she could not bear the silence any more.   
  
''He is resting. We did a lot of training this morning.'' She replied smiling, and then continued: ''Even though I am not a shieldmaiden any longer, he does not let me forget all I have learned. Poor Faramir, he is really tired.''   
  
Arwen smiled back. ''And yet here you stand.'' She completed, still smiling, now feeling a little more comfortable.   
  
''Did you ever want to learn how to fight with weapons?'' She seemed quite interested, which made Arwen feel even more confortable.   
  
''Not really," she answered, now looking into her cup of tea, still full. "I never wanted to get in the middle of battles.''   
  
''Do you not wonder about the songs that your husband always sings? The great battles of the War of the Ring...the heroes....?''   
  
Now Arwen looked right into Éowyn's eyes, that for the first time felt her presence. ''I used to.'' Then she drank a little bit of the tea, that was still too hot for her delicate lips. She put the cup down, now looking at Éowyn's cup, that was almost empty. Then finally continued: ''But now I realized that I do not wish to take joy only in the songs of slaying.''   
  
Éowyn now laughed quietly. ''I know how you feel.'' She remembered saying the same thing to Faramir. ''I said that myself once...''   
  
''I guess we do have some things in common.''   
  
Éowyn knew that besides the joyful chat, Arwen too, like her, wanted to get to that subject. Aragorn did not trouble Éowyn's heart anymore, but it troubled Arwen's. Every night she felt that she wasn't good enough for him. It was rather ironic, for years before, she felt Aragorn wasn't good enough for her. And Éowyn never felt that about Faramir, and she knew it. She wanted to be like that, to care about the simple things, the small things in life, but she just couldn't. She had grown in one of the most stunning places on Arda, and raised as an Elven Princess. And like never before she wondered if Éowyn still had feelings for her husband.   
  
''Éowyn...''   
  
''Yes?''   
  
''Do you still....''   
  
''No.'' Éowyn answered quicker than Arwen could ever imagine she would, smilling. ''No...not anymore. ''   
  
''Hail My Ladies!'' Faramir blissfully greeted them both. Then he kissed Éowyn and asked doubtfully: ''Am I interrupting something?''   
  
''Nay," replied Arwen, "not anymore. Join us!''   
  
Faramir sat next to Éowyn. Arwen continued: ''So....I heard Éowyn gave you quite a hard time in your training.''   
  
Then she turned to Éowyn and smiled, wider than she had ever done, and the two of them started to laugh. Éowyn was amazed at that laugh which was so big, yet came from a woman who was so gentle and seemed so cold.   
  
The three of them talked for a while, but not about misery like they did once. This time they talked about their gardens, Ithilien, Gondor, Rohan, and all that was green and blissful in the world. Arwen realized what Aragorn once saw, for a moment, in Éowyn. And she did not feel sad about it, because some things are just meant to be, and like Lúthien she chose both the sweet and the bitter, and that choice was long over. So she did not feel sad about the fact that the future might be dark, not anymore. She learned to live and learn like Éowyn, who gave up her life as a shieldmaiden, even though not needing to.   
  
''Well, I shall go now, Aragorn was quite worried about me riding alone when I left.''   
  
''Come again, whenever you please!'' replied Faramir, still hugging Éowyn.   
  
Éowyn walked her to the gates. ''It was very sweet of you Arwen...you know, to ask me with no fear and trust me as a friend. I was very sweet.''   
  
''I know. I hope that my life will be as blissful as yours.'' Éowyn smiled. ''Go know, a worried husband is never a good husband!''   
  
Arwen turned around, but before mounting the horse, quickly turned back and warmly hugged Éowyn. Then she turned back to the horse and rode, leaving Éowyn smiling, and realizing how lucky she was. Her shadow had departed; Arwen's would only get greater. 


End file.
